South Philly boomlet
For five years or so, Ninth Street near Washington Avenue, smack in the Italian Market, has become Philly's Mexican restaurant row. The budget cuisine is as homespun as the decor - as in, you're as likely to find a hauntingly delicious Acapulco-style sopa de cameron as you are to find a soda case plopped somewhere in the dining room. All restaurants are open from midmorning through late night daily.
Just north of Washington is the new El Costeño (940 S. Ninth St., 215-925-1010), a taqueria in an old wine shop from Ernesto Atrisco, who owns Lupita's, a nearby grocery. There's a liquor license.
Just south of Washington is the new Fiesta Acapulco (1122 S. Ninth St., 215-551-0850), a Veracruz-style seafooder from Gabriel Bravo from the nearby La Lupe taqueria. Fiesta Acapulco is a few doors from Moctezuma (1108-10 S. Ninth St., 215-218-4008), which opened about a year ago.
Smack in the middle is Teri's (1126 S. Ninth St., 267-761-9154), which is not Mexican at all. It's a deli-cum-luncheonette serving breakfast, brunch and lunch. This week, Teri's picks up a new chef - Culinary Institute of America-trained Davis Denick, formerly at Coquette - for budget dinners Wednesdays through Sundays from 5 p.m. (They'll put out tablecloths and real art.) Among the selections on Denick's menu are duck confit ($9) and caramelized onion and gorgonzola tart ($7) as appetizers, and crispy striped bass ($18) and butternut-squash ravioli ($15) as entrees.
Briefly noted
Change is coming slowly to
Azul Cantina at 10th and Spruce Streets, now under new management. Chef R. Evan Turney, who's taken over with George Anni, is revamping the menu and will start next week for Center City Restaurant Week. Eventually, the Mexican theme will give way to a gastropub called VargaBar.
